Georgia Wedding Cake Designer Q&A: Cakes by Carissa

You know you’ve found an awesome wedding vendor when brides AND wedding professionals rave over them. I remember the first time I tasted Georgia wedding cake designer Cakes by Carissa‘s cake. I heard time and time again that I must try her “whipped to perfection” icing. First impression – her vanilla buttercream frosting was to die for!

After working with Carissa closely for years, it was only natural to use her for our wedding! I’ve tasted almost every flavor of her cakes/fillings. While they were all delicious, my husband and I wanted to do something a little different. We mixed up a traditional flavor (lemon cake + raspberry filling) with something unique (confetti cake + blue frosting).

Carissa was so accommodating with our ideas and made us a wedding cake that was beautiful and delicious! She’s sharing with brides how to choose flavors for your tasting and where to draw design inspiration from.

What should brides think about when selecting cake + filling flavors to sample at their Georgia wedding cake tasting?

It’s always a great idea to start with your favorite cake flavor. While a white wedding cake is traditionally the most popular option, I always suggest that couples consider their favorite cake flavor. It brings a personal touch to their wedding! Also, take the season of your wedding into consideration. Some cakes, like lemon or strawberry, are perfect for spring and summer weddings. And pumpkin or carrot cake pair well with fall and winter weddings.

The temperature and location of your wedding should also be considered when selecting your cake filling. Fruit fillings or cream cheese fillings are not a great idea if your cake will be displayed outside in warm temperatures. This is because it could risk the structure of the cake!

Buttercream versus fondant. What are the the benefits of each?

Textured buttercream cakes are still very trendy, which most bride love as buttercream is often less expensive then fondant. Buttercream is great for piping swirls, boarders and designs, as well as the “rustic” iced look.

The benefit of fondant is that it offers a very smooth finish. Plus, there are a lot of design elements that can be made out of fondant like cut-outs, lace appliques, bows, etc. that can add to the design of the cake.

What advice can you give brides when searching for wedding cake design inspiration?

All photos: Kelly Anne Photography

When looking for inspiration, I suggest picking some of your favorite or meaningful details that you want to tie in throughout your wedding. Maybe it’s your initials and you would like to add a custom monogram to the middle tier of your cake. It could also be a pattern or design from your invitation, or if you love your wedding flowers, you could have them cascade down your cake.

Cupcakes + cake pops – how can brides tie these into the overall look of their wedding cake?

A fun way for brides to tie cupcakes and cake pops into the overall look of their wedding cake is by matching the frosting of the cupcakes or the color of the cake pops to the wedding colors or accents that are on their cake. Small flowers or design elements from the wedding cake can also be made out of fondant and placed on the cupcakes as toppers or on the cake pops. The paper cupcake liners could also be selected to match the overall design or add a ribbon to the cake pop stick in a coordinating color.

Advice for groom’s cakes?

My advice in designing a groom’s cake is to pick a favorite hobby or sport that the groom likes, or create the design based off of the groom’s personality. This makes for a fun and unique cake bringing a personal touch to the wedding!

Through Something New for I Do’s wedding vendor network, The White List, you can purchase a Georgia wedding cake from Cakes by Carissa and receive a 4″ anniversary cake free! It will be boxed and ready on your wedding day to enjoy after your wedding or for your first anniversary.